Striving In Prayer Illustrated March 3, 2008

God fulfils His promises in response to the prayers of His people (Rom.15:30-32).   Dan.9:2 & 3 confirms this truth very well.  Daniel had learnt from the book of Jeremiah that the captivity was going to be for seventy years.  Daniel knew that that was God’s plan for His people. Now look at Daniel who was living towards the end of that captivity. Instead of just hanging around for God to fulfill His promises saying any way God will carry out His purposes whatever man may or may not do, Daniel began to fast and pray and seek the face of the Lord that God would fulfill His promise for His people. Daniel knew a great truth that unless God’s people prayed, God would not fulfill His promises. Before God does some thing some where, He gets His people to pray. When God’s people strive in prayer asking Him to fulfill His promises, God carries out His purposes for the world. There is no exception to this rule. Again and again we see this truth illustrated in the Scripture and in the history of the church. If only God’s people understood this great truth to day! Satan is always against God carrying out His purposes in the world to day. Satan claims that this world belongs to him (Lk.4:6). God in His magnanimity stands a bit away. But in response to the prayers of His people, God carries out His purposes in the world to day. By striving in prayer we are in fact resisting the devil and fighting against principalities and powers of darkness (Js.4:7; 1Pt.5:7; Eph.612-18). Some believers think that striving in prayer is trying to move an unwilling God! It is never to be understood that way at all. We must remember that it is God who asked us to pray. It is He who promised us to answer our prayers. It is true that there are conditions if prayers are to be answered. But no believer has ever exhausted God’s ability in answering prayers! He is willing to answer our prayers above all we can ask or think. He always answers in His bounty. But only in response to prayer will He ever fulfill His Word to day in the world.

In the 10th chapter of the Book of Daniel we have a clear demonstration of this truth. V.12 tells us that on the very first day that Daniel began to pray, answer was sent to him. But v.13 says that the Prince of Persia stood against the angelic messenger for 21 days. Coming to v.2 we see Daniel striving in prayer for three full weeks. He was not enjoying tasty food, nor was he applying oil on his head for all those 21 days. He was in battle all that time. This is the experience of a believer in striving prayer. Only those who pray like Daniel regularly can ever sense this spiritual warfare. Only such can participate in the spiritual warfare. Only they can share in the victory for God. For without battle, there is no victory.

This warfare in prayer is experienced when we begin to pray for spiritual things. There are many believers who have prayed for physical things. They know that God is a prayer answering God. But tragically they never participate in spiritual warfare. Their prayers are limited to physical realm only! In Rom.15:31 Paul exhorts fellow believers to strive together with him in prayer. It is a command to every believer. They that do not strive continually in prayer have disobeyed a plain command of the Scripture. Such are guilty before God for the sin of disobedience. The word that is used in Rom.15:31 for strive is the same word used in the original in Lk.22:44 where it is translated ‘in agony’ in several translations. Thus we come to know that striving in prayer is indeed agonizing in prayer. This is an experience which the Spirit of God will give to those that are regular in their prayer habits. Only those who live near to the heart of God can ever feel the pulse of God’s heart. These days we need men and women who, like Daniel, would strive in prayer to see God fulfill His purpose in the world to day. May the Lord give us the needed grace that we would become truly men and women who would strive in prayer and participate in bringing about the purposes of God in this world. To His Name Be All Glory. Amen and amen.

Spiritual Warfare Is Real February 24, 2008

We read about spiritual warfare in the 10th chapter of the book of Daniel. In vv.2 & 3 Daniel was in deep waters for twenty one days. He was not able to eat properly and we may surmise he was not sleeping properly either. He went to God in prayer and there seemed to be an absolute silence on the part of God. It was quite unusual for a person like Daniel. To Him answers to prayers came instantly almost every time. But this time it was different! He was able to sense it immediately. After twenty one long days the silence was broken. Daniel was told what went on behind the scene. Here we have a great insight into what is happening in the spiritual world to day. Daniel was told in vv.12 & 13 that there was a satanic hindrance blocking the way that answer could not reach him.

This is happening even to day. Whenever a saint of God who lives and prays in the will of God is praying, God sends His angels with answers. It is recorded for us twice in the book of Acts in relation to Peter’s imprisonment (Acts 5:19; 12:7). But if there is satanic blockage angels cannot come through.

One of the greatest secrets about the spiritual warfare is that God cannot fight with the devil! God cannot; because God and Satan are not equals. While God is infinite and almighty, Satan is finite and is a creature .  If God would fight him, the next moment he is destroyed. When God became man in Christ our Lord, He taught us to love our enemies. Would He Himself destroy His enemy? Satan knows that God is infinitely good and that is why he is behaving the way he does to day. Satan has free access into the presence of God to day (Job 1 :6;2:1; Zech.3:1). To day the whole world lies in the power of the evil one (1 Jn.5:19).

While God cannot fight with the devil, we can. We too are created beings. And with the power of God in us, we can indeed fight and defeat the devil. In fact we are asked to do so (Js.4:7). Christ by His death defeated and disarmed the devil (Col.2:15). But he has not accepted defeat as yet. He is still fighting (1 Pet.4:8). In Eph.6 where we have the teaching on spiritual warfare, we are told that we wrestle  not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers, against rulers of the darkness of this world, and against spiritual wickedness in high places (v.12). Unless we wrestle, Satan has the victory. We are told in v.18 of Eph. 6 that the only activity of a spiritual warrior is prayer. After having put on the whole armor of God, the only activity the spiritual warrior is involved in is persevering prayer; praying with all prayers and supplications. If we fail here, we fail in our responsibility. Imagine well-uniformed nurses standing in a busy casualty ward doing nothing! This is what a non-praying believer does to day. But look at Daniel. He was striving in prayer for all those twenty one days. If Daniel had not persevered for those three weeks in instant prayers, answer would not have reached him.

Of course, a day is coming when Satan will be chained (Rev.20: 1,2) and later sent to His eternal destiny (Rev.20: 10). Till then Satan will hinder God’s work here on earth (cf 1 Thes.2:18).Till then we are asked to strive in prayer for His glory.